Below are some average consumption figures for the main water-using appliances. To get your annual water usage in cubic metres, add up how many uses you make of each one per week, multiply the total weekly usage by 52 and divide by 1,000, as there are 1,000 litres in a cubic metre.
As a guide, an average household uses about 160 cu m (35,000 gall) of water per year. To find out whether you would save money by having a water meter, contact your water company and ask for details of their standing charges and costs per cubic metre of water used. Work out how much your annual water usage would cost on a meter and compare it with current bills.
Most water companies will install a meter free of charge. Bear in mind that your water consumption may rise if your circumstances change - for instance, if you have children.
